Review: Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson

Title: Nightblind

Author: Ragnar Jonasson

Series: Dark Iceland, #2

Published: January 2016, Orenda Books

Format: Paperback, 215 pages

Source: Personal copy

Summary: 

Chilling, and complex, Nightblind is an extraordinary thriller from undeniable new talent Ragnar Jonasson.

 
 

Ari Thór Arason: a local policeman, whose tumultuous past and
uneasy relationships with the villagers in an idyllically quiet fishing
village in Northern Iceland—where no one locks their doors—continue to
haunt him.

 

The peace of this close-knit community is shattered by
the murder of a policeman—shot at point-blank range in the dead of night
in a deserted house. With a killer on the loose and the dark arctic
winter closing in, it falls to Ari Thór to piece together a puzzle that
involves tangled local politics, a compromised new mayor, and a
psychiatric ward in Reykjavik where someone is being held against their
will. Then a mysterious young woman moves to the area, on the run from
something she dares not reveal, and it becomes all too clear that tragic
events from the past are weaving a sinister spell that may threaten
them all.

My thoughts: I am so excited to be getting back to this series. I read the first book, Snowblind, a while ago and for some reason, I didn’t continue on even though I have all the other books sitting on my shelf. But this year, I will read them.

There seems to be a little bit of a discrepancy as to the exact order of this series. Apparently when the books were re-released in the US, the order changed for some reason…I’m not exactly sure why but I am following the US order. I don’t know if it will make a difference or not, but I guess I will find out once I’ve read them all.

I  loved the way this story was told, alternating between what was going on in the present day and the diary entries of someone on a psychiatric ward. I was desperately trying to figure out not only who this person was, but how it ultimately fit in with what was going on with the rest of the story.

This is a dark, twisted book that kept me gripped from start to finish. It’s a layered story, driven by many secrets. Each character has their own story and somehow all these stories are wound together. The small town of Siglufjordur plays just as much of a role in the mystery as the characters. And the weather is once again a major factor as well, creating an atmospheric, tense read. 

If you haven’t read this series yet, I strongly suggest giving it a try. I am certainly looking forward to continuing on with the next book, much sooner than I did with this one, for sure.

Books in this series:

1. Snowblind
2. Nightblind
3. Black Out
4. Rupture
5. White Out